Joseph Perry Micheau (born 23 Feb 1888, Prairie du Rocher, Illinois; died 15 Nov 1975, St Louis, Missouri) was a descendant of the French Negroes of Illinois–originally slaves from Jamaica brought to Upper Louisiana by French entrepeneur Phillipe Renault in the 1720’s. The Micheau family represent well the social and cultural lives of the descendants [...]
Continue reading about Valentines Day: Love Letters from Prairie du Rocher
During November, which is Black Catholic History Month, I wrote about the Knights of Peter Claver. A few days ago, I came across this badge from St Elizabeth’s Catholic Church in St Louis. St Elizabeth’s was a parish established especially for black Catholics by Fr. John Markoe and his brother, Fr. William Markoe, both Jesuits, [...]
“Claverism” observes 100th Anniversary in USA
Every Catholic and many a non- Catholic recognizes the name of the largest Catholic lay organization in the world, the Knights of Columbus. This is a group of “practical” Catholic men who do charitable acts. Indeed, over the last ten years, the “K of C” have donated more than a [...]
Continue reading about Black Catholic History Month: The Knights of Who?
The notion of black Catholics in the South is not often the subject of much discussion by anyone, anywhere. The southern United States is frequently thought of as having been settled largely by Scots-Irish and English people, not exactly fans of the Church of Rome. The South is caricatured as a bastion of Baptists and, [...]
Continue reading about Black Catholic History Month: Black Catholics in the South
Earlier in the month, we discussed the life of Father Charles Uncles, the first black priest both trained and ordained in the United States. He was instrumental in the founding of the Society of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart. This order of priests and religious were founded to evangelize the recently freed blacks in [...]
Continue reading about Black Catholic History Month: The Josephite Fathers and Brothers
Okay, the headline takes some liberty: we’re talking about saving Catholic records in St Augustine, Florida, America’s oldest city. But before we get to that, let’s understand why we’re covering this during Black Catholic History Month (not that it wouldn’t always be of interest to those interested in Catholic history generally).
In a number of communities [...]
Continue reading about Black Catholic History Month: Preserving St Augustine’s Documents
Last week I wrote about the question of the first black Catholic priest in America. I said the answer to that question depended upon who you asked. I now know that the answer to the question depends upon how the you ask the question! This is because there has emerged yet a third contender for [...]
Continue reading about Black Catholic History Month:First Black Priest in the USA? A Third Contender
The number of black Catholics in the United States is small. I know this both anecdotally and empirically. I was probably a teenager before I met another black Catholic family. My parents, each for their own reasons, converted to Catholicism as teenagers. They did not know each other at the times of their conversions.
My mother [...]
Continue reading about Black Catholic History Month: The Catholics in My Families
Michael Hait picks up the story at the Examiner:
http://www.examiner.com/x-8873-African-American-Genealogy-Examiner~y2009m11d12-Catholic-slaves-of-the-Carroll-family-of-Maryland
Continue reading about Black Catholic History Month:Catholic Slaves in Maryland
In recognition of Black Catholic Hisotry Month, we reprise a popular post from 2008.
Originally Published at GeneaBlogie on Tuesday, February 12, 2008.
Who was the first African-American Catholic Priest?
The answer is . . . it depends on who you ask. And sometimes the same person will give two different answers!
The contenders are Father James Healy (1830-1900), [...]
Continue reading about Black Catholic History Month: The First African-American Priest
